850 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



wild mustard, which harbors the disease, must be destroyed. If the 

 cabbage is stored in the fall, all heads showing- any trace of black 

 in the stem should be rejected aud the others stored in a house in all 

 parts of which the temperature is kept below 40° F. If any affected 

 heads are stored they should be kept by themselves in a separate part 

 of the house. 



A bacterial disease of celery, U. Brizi (Centbl. Bald. u. Par., 2. 

 AM., 3 (1897), Xo. 21-22, pp. 575-579). — A report is given of abacterial 

 disease of celery which was observed during the past season at several 

 places in the lower part of the valley of the Po Eiver, Italy. The 

 bases of the large petioles of the leaves, especially when covered with 

 earth, become discolored, while the remaining green portions of the 

 leaves are spotted with small yellow specks which finally change to a 

 rusty red. With the appearance of the spots the tissues become dis- 

 eased and broken down and at the same time ulcer-like patches appear 

 with great rapidity, destroying the tissue of the leaf. Finally there 

 are formed large reddish areas surrounded by a definite line, the whole 

 extending through the leaf. 



Examinations of the ulcers revealed the presence of innumerable 

 bacteria about 2 to 2£ /< in length, to which the provisional name Bac- 

 terium apii has been given. The organism is attenuated at its extrem- 

 ities, motile, and fully occupies the tissues where found, often appear- 

 ing in the collenchyma and in the tissues immediately surrounding the 

 vascular bundles. 



The organism is readily grown upon a variety of media. On gelatin 

 it grew best at temperatures of from 20 to 22° C, colonies appearing 

 in 18 to 24 hours and assuming their characteristic appearances in from 

 5 to G days. Its growth on different media and action toward various 

 staining reagents are fully described. 



Attention is called to the bacterial disease of celery described by 

 Halsted 1 and a disease mentioned by Russell some time later. The 

 identity of this disease in Italy with those occurring in the United 

 States is not affirmed nor denied, the author merely claiming the first 

 description of the Italian disease. 



The core rot of apples and pears, J. Craig (Canada Expt. Farms 

 Bpts. 1896, pp. 172, 173, fig. 1). — A brief note is given on a core rot of 

 apples and pears to which the Gideon apple and Bessemianka and 

 Sapieganka pears, 2 Russian varieties, are particularly subject. The 

 core of the apple, which is at first water-cored, becomes brown and 

 shrunken, separates the carpels from the surrounding pulp, and remains 

 suspended in the interior of the fruit. Varieties that are affected by 

 this disease should be avoided, or, if grown, the fruit should not be 

 kept late in the winter, as its value will be lost. 



A dry rot of apples, J. Craig (Canada Expt. Farms Bpts. 1896, 

 pp. 171, 172, fig. 1). — Notes are given on the occurrence of a peculiar 

 dry rot of apples which has been observed for several years. The dis- 



1 New Jersey State Sta. Bui. Q (E. S. R., 3, p. 885.) 



